The invention relates to vehicle body panel structure with an opening closable by a cover. Particularly preferred embodiments of the invention relate to a sunroof with a roof opening closable by a cover, said cover being attached in the vicinity of its forward edge by a releasable swivel connection to the roof frame about an axis extending crosswise to the length of the vehicle, said cover being swivelable with its rear edge extending upward out of the roof plane by means of a tilting device releasable from the cover and mounted between the roof frame and the cover.
In known sunroofs of this kind (see for example German Offenlegungsschrift No. 23 51 270), the tilting device occupies a relatively large amount of space, thereby reducing the head room of the passengers. The danger of injury is also increased by projecting parts. Finally, the known tilting devices, if they are to allow the maximum possible, continuously adjustable, tilting movement of the cover, are relatively complicated and therefore costly to manufacture.
An object of the invention is to provide a sunroof of the type described hereinabove, wherein the tilting device for the cover is designed so that is occupies the smallest possible amount of space and consists of a few parts, and can therefore be manufactured at less cost.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the tilting device is provided with a tilting lever pivotally mounted on the roof frame on one side and on the cover on the other, said lever being swivelable by a twist handle mounted on the roof frame, whereby at least one of the pivotal connections consists of an elongated hole and a pin meshing with the latter and whereby the pivotal connection of the lever with the cover is releasable.
In the tilting device according to preferred embodiments of the invention, the tilting lever is essentially parallel to the cover when the latter is closed, being disposed between the cover and the headlining, so that practically no additional room is required. In these embodiments, only the twist handle projects from the headlining. According to other embodiments of the invention, the handle is designed as a flat plate or so as to be foldable.
The connection between the twist handle and the tilting lever is preferably provided in such manner that the axle of the twist handle, rotatably mounted on the roof frame, is provided with an external thread, with a threaded bushing disposed thereon, said bushing being swivelably but nonrotatably connected with the tilting lever. A threaded bushing of this kind requires only a very small amount of space, especially if it extends through the tilting lever.
A special problem of sunroofs in which the cover can be removed completely consists in the fact that releasing the connection between the cover and the tilting device from inside the passenger compartment, with the cover either closed or tilted, must be reliably prevented, since an inadvertent release while the vehicle is in motion can lead to the cover flying off and causing serious accidents. This problem can be solved by simple means in the tilting device according to a particularly preferred arrangement of the invention by virtue of the fact that the tilting lever is forked at the end facing the cover, and holds a bracket between its legs, said bracket being provided with locking pins displaceable against spring force, said pins constituting the rotational axis of the lever on the cover and fitting releasably in corresponding holes in the legs of the lever, and by the fact that actuating levers are provided on the locking pins between the legs of the lever, said actuating levers being accessible only with the cover tilted and only from outside. With the cover either closed or tilted, the actuating levers are covered by the legs of the tilting lever to such an extent that they are inaccessible from the passenger compartment. This effect can be intensified according to the invention by providing the roof frame with an edge which extends upward, surrounds the tilting lever, and covers it at the sides.
In order to facilitate engaging the cover with the tilting device when the cover is lowered back into the roof opening, preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the inner surfaces of the legs of the tilting lever are provided with sloping surfaces facing the bracket, said sloping surfaces pushing the locking pins back as the cover is pulled in. The actuating levers then need not be actuated at all, it merely sufficing to move the cover downward with a slight pressure, whereby the locking pins are pushed back and automatically engage the holes in the legs of the lever. In order to prevent reliably any damage to the tilting device when the cover is lowered, it is advantageous to provide a surface on the underside of the tilting lever which rests against the roof frame when the lid is shut. The force exerted on the cover for engagement with the tilting lever will then be accepted by the roof frame.